Give My Love to Rose
by Ghostwriter85
Summary: Ben speaks at Roy Coffee's funeral.


**NOTE: I wrote a fan fiction called HANG ON AND LET GO where Sheriff Coffee ended up married to a lady name Rose and they had twin sons. If you want that background you'll need to go read it. It's posted under my other profile... Dreamer1985. This is a follow up which came to me recently.**

 **Give My Love To Rose**

(Ben speaking at Roy Coffee's funeral)

"Roy Coffee was an extraordinary gentleman and sheriff. Sadly, there have been many rumors as to how he died. I cannot simply stand by and let any of those rumors stand. So, with Rose Coffee's permission, I am going to set the record straight. " Ben looked around the room filled with mourners, some of who had the decency to look ashamed. He then continued speaking. "I was sitting outside on my porch enjoying the fresh air as I worked on a deal that would give my family much needed income." Benjamin sighed as he looked down from where he was standing at the pulpit at the casket holding Sheriff Roy Coffee, a man many residents felt was just as much as a member of their own family. Ben then looked down at Roy's widow, Rose and their two sons. "I wasn't expecting anything major to happen; it had been a pretty quiet week." Ben choked up and had to pause as he sucked in a big breath of air before releasing it. " I looked up as I heard horse's hooves coming around the barn. For a split second I was relieved to see Roy on his horse. I'd heard he was overdue and I feared he'd been shot. My relief instantly fled when I realized he was sweating up a storm and saw him slide off his horse. At first I thought my fears were well founded, until I realized he was not bleeding anywhere. However, his skin was hot to the touch, which told me just how sick he was."

" _Managed to get the prisoner into the marshall's hands_ _,_ _" Roy managed to speak as Hoss had come racing out of the barn when he'd seen Roy_ _fall_ _to ground. "I felt a bit ill when I headed towards home, but didn't know I was so sick_ _. I_ _'d have wired Rose_ _otherwise_ _."_

"I told him not to try to talk as Hoss carried him up the stairs. Little Joe started to head out to get the doctor, but Roy stopped him.

" _Too late, I haven't got that much time left."_

"We tried to tell him he didn't know that." A tear slid down Ben's face as he looked upon Rose and her sons, all wearing black. "But, Roy insisted he did."

" _Give my love to Rose, tell her and our boys I love them. Tell her I owe her everything. I was hoping to see our sons raised."_

"Roy had quit speaking due to a massive coughing fit, but managed to stop along enough to tell us he could at least rest easy knowing the man who had caused his family so much grief was now behind bars and would soon hang for what all that he'd done." Ben, and others, shed more tears as he began to speak again of his last moments with Roy while Joe had raced to fetch Rose.

 _"Please, Ben, give my love to Rose. Tell her I did my best to save enough up in the bank that she'll not have_ _a_ _problem paying off any debt we have; which -thanks to her efforts- aren't' many. Tell her, I wouldn't hold it against her if –-in time- she opts to remarry. No one should have to raise children alone. However_ _;_ _no matter what, tell those boys of mine to listen to their mother and help her out in any way they_ _can. She's_ _a rare gem."_

"He managed to hang on until Rose got there, but by then he was too weak to speak." Ben didn't stop the tears from flowing down his cheeks. "For the sake of the memories we have of Roy, along for the good of Rose and the boys, lets remember Roy stood for truth and justice…and stop the unnecessary gossip." Ben then found himself unable to continue and sat down. Silence reigned as the pallbearers stood up and took a hold of the side of the late sheriff's coffin.

No sound was heard as the six men carried out Roy's coffin, followed by Rose and their two young sons. Rose kept a stiff upper lip as she followed the palbearers to the cemetery, but managed a small smile as she saw what Little Joe had carved into Roy's headstone…a shotgun and a padlock with his name on it. She also knew that, in spite of Roy's good intentions in giving her permission to remarry, there would be no other name next to hers in the coming years.


End file.
